POLICE say they believe missing York student Megan Roberts is most likely to have fallen into the River Ouse after leaving a bar with friends.

Diving teams have continued the search of the river yesterday (WED) between Lendal Bridge and Ouse Bridge, not far from where the 20-year-old fine arts student was seen leaving a bar in George Hudson Street nearly a week ago.

She was on a night out with a group of friends, who all left Popworld at about 2.10am last Thursday.

North Yorkshire Police have studied CCTV footage and say the group was widely spread out as they left the bar and crossed Lendal Bridge to McDonalds.

Some of the group became separated from others and several of the group ran down Tanner’s Moat, alongside the river, looking for the others.

Police believe Megan was the last in the group and bumped into the cycle racks outside the Maltings pub, near Lendal Bridge.

Superintendent Phil Cain said: “CCTV evidence does not show Megan running back up the same street with the others to re-join the main group.”

Officers moved to quell rumours that a stalker or other criminal activity may be behind her disappearance.

They have now sifted through messages on social networking sites after messages were posted on Twitter before she disappeared, commenting about a man following Megan and her friends around bars in York six days before she disappeared.

Superintendent Cain said: “The results of which does not indicate that Megan’s disappearance is the result of any criminal activity.

“Consequently, the strongest and most probable line of enquiry being pursued by police is that Megan, affected by alcohol, has entered the river.

“The possibility still exists that Megan is elsewhere safe and well, but realistically given the passage of time, such a possibility is increasingly remote.”

Megan is originally from Wetherby, North Yorkshire, but has been living in the Clifton area of York while studying in York St John University.

As police searched the river, about 40 volunteers with the charity Missing People handed out flyers and posters. Megan is around 5ft 6in tall, with long, dark brown hair and was wearing a cream, knee-length dress with brown and orange flowers.

Anyone with information about her disappearance is asked to contact North Yorkshire Police on 101 and pass information to the force control room.